Motor-vehicle top.



J. C. HICKINBOTHAM.

MOTOR VEHICLE TOP;

APPLICATION FILED MAYZO, 19's Patented Nov. 27, .1912.

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I I I r INVENOR. I M a JOHN CYRUS HIGKINBOTHAM, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2'12, 1911?.

Application filed May 20, 1916. Serial No. 98,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. HIOKIN- BOTHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicle Tops; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in top covers for vehicles and particularly motor vehicles, the object of the invention being to produce a collapsible top which may be easily and quickly collapsed or extended to open position at the will of the operator. In addition to this function, I aim to produce a cover which when extended to open position will be readily and effectively braced without the necessity of having any vertical upright supports from the vehicle along its length, the only vertical support necessary being the rear posts. When collapsed the folds of the top structure will be regularly and evenly disposed one upon the other so that when the top is down it will form a neat and compact assembly which when covered will present a very neat appearance.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete structure when extended showing the cover fabric in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the supporting frame as it will appear when collapsed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on a line X-X of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing adjacent ends of supporting rods.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the method of joining the adjacent ends of sup porting rods and the cross truss supports.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of one of the truss supports.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the rear posts provided with eyes 2 by means of which they may be turnably mounted in any suitable manner to the rear of the body of the vehicle. Each of the rear posts 1 is provided with a vertical slot as at 3 and at the top of the slot with projecting lips at. Slidable within each post 1 is a bearing pin 5 provided with a ball or other anti-friction me1nber 6 at its inner end whereby it may have freedom of movement vertically within the said post 3. On the pin 5 is a projecting finger member 7 extending through the slot 3 being provided with lips 8.

My improved top supporting rod structure extends from each post and each consists of the following structure, namely: Two rods 9 and 10 are hinged together at their centers as at 11, the rod 9 being hinged between the lips 4: and the rod 10 being hinged between the lips 8. The outer end of the rod 10 is provided with a central orifice 12 and with a small pin 13. A rod 9 similar to the rod 9 is hinged centrally as at 11 to a rod 10 which is hinged at 14 to the rod 9. The rod 9 is provided at its end adjacent the rod 10 with a central orifice 15 alined with the orifice 12 and with a pin 16 disposed on the opposite side of the orifices 12 and 15 to that on which the pin 13 is situated. The numeral 17 designates the vertical support for the cross truss rod or bar 18. When assembled, a pin 19 extends through the orifices 12 and 15 and through a vertical slot 20 in the member 17 while the pins 13 and 16 fit in opposite ends of a transverse slot 21 opening into the slot 20. By means of this latter structure when the members 9, 10, 9 and 10 are collapsed as shown in Fig. 2, or extended, they still hold the supporting member 17 in true vertical position which greatly facilitates the action of collapsing of the top. The fabric 22 is of course secured to the cross truss rod 23, to the posts 1 and to the cross truss rod 18.

There may be any number of hinged rods and vertical supports and truss rods, but for the purpose of this specification, I have shown two truss rods 18 and 18 on each side of the top. The truss rod 18 is supported by a support 17 of exactly the same construction as the support 17. The rod 10- at its outer end is constructed and connected with the support 17 and with another rod 9 similarly as the rod 10 is connected with the rod 9 and support 17. Similarly a rod 10 connects with a rod 9 and is hinged, to the rod 9 as at 24. At the forward end of the top, the rod 9 does not extend farther than the hinge 24: but the rod 10' extends and is connected with the front cross truss 25..

When the top is to be folded back the lazy tong rods are first folded against the supporting posts 1 as shown in Fig. 2. This action is accomplished by sliding the pins 5 downwardly through the posts 1 which action allows all the bars to be moved into folded position. The entire structure is then moved to horizontal position by means of the pivotal connection of the posts 1 as at 2.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of the invention as setforth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A vehicle top comprising rear posts, a fixed and slidable connection on each. post, a set of lazy tongs for each post, one free end of the lazy tongs being connected with the fixed connection and the other with the slidable connection, truss supportsconnected with the upper joints-0f the lazy tongs, trusses carried by the truss supports, fabric covering the posts and trusses, and means for maintaining the truss supports at all times in vertical position, such means including the connecting pins of the joints, and an independent pin on each tong rod adjacent the joints, the truss supports being each provided with" a vertical slot and a transverse slot to receive respectively the first and second named-pins. V p

In testimony whereof I my signature,

JOHN cY UsHIGKINBOTInM.

Qopies of this patent may'be obtainedwfor five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patents; Washington, D. 0. i 

